Dark. Very, very dark. Not just sight, but every sense had been robbed from her. She felt as though she were floating in a tank of lukewarm water, without the need to breathe. Was it because she had already drowned? No, she was still holding onto her breath. Her consciousness drifted in a state of almost-awakening, her thoughts struggling to properly form and take shape in her mind. Was this a dream? She was... who was she, anyway? Lili? Some kind of faint, distant voice whispered to her. No, that wasn't right. That voice was sure of it, nonetheless. But that voice wasn't her. It was... someone else. It came from all around her, filling her with paranoia that someone were watching from all around. Every so often, she could have sworn she could see... flowers...? Slowly, ever so slowly, creeping towards her from far away in that darkness, encroaching on her. Slipping further inside her bubble. The flowers wanted her to join them, to... give herself up to them. They already had so much of her world, so what more was it to give up that final remaining piece?
Her mind?
"Careful with this'un. I 'ear there's a monster inside."
A group of brawny, bearded sailors were hard at work unloading the latest cargo that had been brought to Manta Carlos. They may have looked like regular, scruffy sailors, but they were in fact quite adept at handling the various dangerous and unusual packages entering and leaving the island. Even so, the vast majority of their shipments were very standard stuff like food and equipment. Even if it was vastly more common than anywhere else in the world, the arrival of something a bit more unusual was bound to become a topic of discussion sooner or later.
Which was how rumours about one of the crates especially had become more widespread. It was very large, almost seven feet in each direction, and built from a tough-looking riveted metal that was surely several inches thick. Various warning labels and "this-way-up" signs were pasted across its surface, firmly cementing it as something either highly valuable or highly dangerous. Or perhaps both? A sweet, enticing scent managed to exude faintly from the crate despite being tightly sealed - like flowers and fruits, an assortment of enthralling smells.
“A monster? Don’ ye mean a plant? Like, ah… that big one… rafflesia, right?”
It took a whole group just to heave the crate out and onto land, even with the help of a forklift. It was to be lifted into the back of a lorry, alongside several other crates and boxes, to be brought to the focal point of the island: Starlight Academy.
Her mind?
"Careful with this'un. I 'ear there's a monster inside."
A group of brawny, bearded sailors were hard at work unloading the latest cargo that had been brought to Manta Carlos. They may have looked like regular, scruffy sailors, but they were in fact quite adept at handling the various dangerous and unusual packages entering and leaving the island. Even so, the vast majority of their shipments were very standard stuff like food and equipment. Even if it was vastly more common than anywhere else in the world, the arrival of something a bit more unusual was bound to become a topic of discussion sooner or later.
Which was how rumours about one of the crates especially had become more widespread. It was very large, almost seven feet in each direction, and built from a tough-looking riveted metal that was surely several inches thick. Various warning labels and "this-way-up" signs were pasted across its surface, firmly cementing it as something either highly valuable or highly dangerous. Or perhaps both? A sweet, enticing scent managed to exude faintly from the crate despite being tightly sealed - like flowers and fruits, an assortment of enthralling smells.
“A monster? Don’ ye mean a plant? Like, ah… that big one… rafflesia, right?”
It took a whole group just to heave the crate out and onto land, even with the help of a forklift. It was to be lifted into the back of a lorry, alongside several other crates and boxes, to be brought to the focal point of the island: Starlight Academy.
